A Waymo rider-only robotaxi is seen during a test ride in San Francisco, California, U.S., December 9, 2022.
Despite General Motors’ decision to shutter its Cruise robotaxi business earlier this month, the U.S. has never been closer to a driverless future. For the autonomous vehicle industry, 2024 will be remembered as the year that at least one major U.S. player – Alphabet-owned Waymo – saw glimmers of mainstream adoption and made strides toward commercial viability.
Waymo has completed more than 5 million autonomous trips in total, a sevenfold increase from November 2023. The company has opened its robotaxi service to all San Franciscans, allowing them to hail rides via the Waymo One app. Waymo plans to launch a commercial service in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, with rides available through the Uber app next year.
Waymo is also expanding its robotaxi service to more cities, including Miami, where it has begun testing and plans to offer rides to the public in 2026. The company has announced a partnership with Hyundai to integrate the automaker’s Ioniq 5 electric vehicle into its fleet, and has shown off its next generation of self-driving vehicles, which it will be making with Chinese auto giant Geely.
Tesla, led by CEO Elon Musk, has been promising “robotaxi-ready” cars for about a decade, but has yet to deliver on its promises. Tesla showed off its robotaxi concept, called the Cybercab, at an event in October, but did not provide a timeline for its release. The company has not applied for licenses and permits that would allow it to operate a commercial robotaxi service in major U.S. markets.
Zoox, an Amazon-owned company, has been developing a unique self-driving shuttle that features big side windows, inward-facing seats, and no steering wheel or pedals. The company has secured important permits allowing it to carry members of the public in its autonomous vehicles in Foster City, California, and plans to offer free rides to more members of the public early next year.
Cruise, which was acquired by General Motors in 2016, has been a major player in the robotaxi market, but announced earlier this month that it was exiting the business. The company will now focus on the development of “personal autonomous vehicles” instead of robotaxis.
Despite the challenges faced by the industry, the demand for robotaxi rides in the U.S. market remains strong. According to research by Fortune Business Insights, the global ride-sharing market is projected to grow from an estimated $123.08 billion in 2024 to $480.09 billion by 2032.